Another Time Another Place
by Forgotten Lake
Summary: OHSHC/Inu crossover. After her last trip down the well, Kagome ends up having to go to another school due to unfortunate circumstances. A move across town, becoming a miko to a shrine with secrets, and the Host Club. So much for a break.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Inuyasha or Ouran High School Host Club

I don't own Inuyasha or Ouran High School Host Club. If I did, I'd be tempted to name the show something other then Inuyasha (after all, I don't think it's fair for Takahashi to keep naming the series after the main male character-Ranma, Inuyasha, come on!) and I'd give Ouran High School Host Club a shorter name, if only because I get tired of typing it over and over. On the other hand…my fic names can get a bit lengthy sometimes…I am a hypocrite.

Yeah, another story! It's good, though, I promise!

Oh! By the way, credit for the name of this story goes to Jerry Lee Lewis, who sung a song titled this. I thought it seemed oddly appropriate for this fanfic.

Also, due to the nature of this fic, I've needed to do some research into different customs of Shinto shrines. I've done my best to make sure all the information is correct, and any questions you have, please refer to the notes at the bottom. Any readers who have studied this, or know something I've forgot to mention or mentioned incorrectly, please let me know. I've definitely never actually been to a Shinto shrine, so all my information is second hand through the internet.

**Another Place, Another Time**

_Chapter One_

Kagome skidded across the ground, clutching the finally completed Shikon no Tama to her chest as she closed her eyes and braced herself for impact. She hit something hard, a tree or the well maybe, and her air flew out of her lungs. She desperately tried to get air back in her lungs as she stuffed the jewel in her bra (her school uniform really didn't come with pockets and it was about to fall apart anyways.) She looked up, almost expecting to see one of Naraku's tentacle things coming at her, and her mouth fell open in shock.

"Shit!" she said, and leapt up. She was back in the courtyard of her home shrine, leaning against the wall. She ran for the well house-the battle was going on on the other side-she must of hit the well or something, and it malfunctioned. She really hoped it would get her back and-

"Miss Higurashi," what might normally be stated as a question was stated as more of a fact as someone held onto her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks. Kagome felt a wave of embarrassment as she realized what the stranger must be seeing. She had been wearing her uniform on her way home when Naraku had attacked. It had gotten badly torn, and she was filthy from the fighting. It was likely he could see her undergarments.

"Yes?" Kagome asked, trying to keep her tone firm.

"If you would turn around," this time more of a demand then a question. The guy was obviously filled with self-importance.

"My clothes are not in the best condition. I'd rather not," Kagome said, "And I'm in a bit of a hurry." She needed to make sure she could get back to the feudal era.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before, I'm sure. Now, if you'll show me what exactly you just stuffed down your bra." Once again, arrogant and commanding.

That was it. Indecent, ruined clothing and scraggly looks aside, Kagome absolutely loathed when someone acted condescending to her. She whipped around, prepared to give a scathing retort, and stopped, finger paused mid-air. The businessman standing tall in front of her looked exactly like what she'd imagined a human Sesshoumaru might. At least, a modern day one. He had short black hair, light brown eyes, and those same sparse, aristocratic features.

His appearance threw her for a loop for a moment, but Kagome's ire was not to be stopped by a feeble mortal concern. "Excuse me, but I will not show you what I stuffed down my bra, because it is absolutely none of your business, you poorly-stuffed imitation of a cod. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm rather in the middle of a crisis and I have to go. Good day!" Kagome whipped back around and was about to stomp off, when her shoulder was once more caught and held, this time the grip so fierce it seemed almost…inhuman…

"I said," the man's voice was not so amused, "that you will show me what you just stuffed down your bra, or I will dispose of you where you stand."

Kagome could feel claws digging into her shoulder. She gulped, and wished her bow and arrows were a few centuries closer. She should have learned more from Keade about her priestess powers, but there was never any time! Oh well, when in trouble, the best thing to do was bluff. "I could purify you where you stand, demon," Kagome said, trying her best to sound like Kikyou. Emulating Kikyou was not something she normally did, but Kikyou was good at intimidation, you had to give her that.

"One last chance, miko, or you're dead where you stand," the man's cold voice whispered.

Okay, more bluffing. Kagome shrugged and put a light, carefree tone as she dug out the Shikon no Tama. "I think you're being a pervert. I fell, and I saw one of my grandpa's Shikon no Tama key chain baubles on the ground. As you can see, I don't exactly have pockets at the moment, and so decided that I better put it somewhere safe."

Kagome heard a snort from behind her. "Your deviousness knows no bounds, miko. A time-traveler. I never guessed. I should have realized as soon as I saw the new school uniform, but I honestly haven't spared you a thought for centuries."

Kagome's mouth fell open as she turned around. "You can't be Sesshoumaru. You'd have to be what, over at least eight hundred years old!"

"Do not insult me. I'm not a youngster," Sesshoumaru seemed to almost sniff in disdain.

Kagome shook her head. Thinking about it would give her a headache, and there really wasn't time for this. "Okay, well, now you know who I am. I've gotta get back to the feudal era! We're fighting Naraku, alongside you I might add, and I need to help."

"That's not possible. You never return. Inuyasha was acting quite ridiculous for years after you left. Besides, it was much easier to kill that low-life Naraku once the jewel was gone. He was most dismayed when you disappeared," Sesshoumaru said calmly.

"What?! That's not possible!" Kagome yelled, "I'd never just leave Inuyasha like that!"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Believe what you will. You're free to attempt to return, if you wish."

Kagome huffed and ran over to the well house, through the doors, down the steps, and jumped into the well. It was only with about a year of experience at falling that saved her from seriously injuring herself. As it was, she was probably going to be walking around with a slight limp for a few days; along with all the bruises she'd gotten from what was apparently the last battle.

Kagome looked up to see human Sesshoumaru staring down at her. "The well? Interesting form of transport. I assume it's made out of the wood of the Goshinboku, correct?" Kagome waited to respond until she'd slowly and painfully climbed back out of the well. She sat on the side and stared down at her shoes.

"Yeah," Kagome said quietly. "I really never go back?" she asked, a slightly hopeless note in her voice.

"It's a good thing you don't. Do you know why I came here today, and by chance discovered who you were?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Kagome's brows furrowed slightly. "Why?"

"Because of your pitiful excuses, the children at my school have been skipping school regularly claiming they're sick. The teachers and office workers have become mockeries of their professions, accepting any and all excuses because all the students have to say is, 'But Higurashi has been missing for two weeks because she's sick. I've been deathly ill and you won't excuse me for two days?' I came on my yearly inspection and was shocked at the state of affairs. I frankly came here to expel you, and make sure you never attended another school again after you confessed to lying about your illnesses. I presume you've been going to the feudal era to collect jewel shards," Sesshoumaru said.

Kagome's shocked eyes meet Sesshoumaru's cool brown ones. "What?! I'm so sorry! It's just my grandfather got it into his head that it was his job to make excuses for me, and he's a bit…eccentric! I've been working really hard, and if I can't go back, I swear I'll be the top student in every class!"

"Miko, the time for excuses has long passed you by. Order will not return to the school until someone has been made an example on, and the excuse of saving the ancient world aside, you are ultimately the one responsible," Sesshoumaru said firmly.

Kagome's head fell back down again, as her heart seemed to contract painfully in her chest. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. It must have been a bad habit he picked up living around humans for so long. "Considering the circumstances, I have an offer. I have need of an agent in the Bunkyo district of Tokyo. Someone who knows of demons. It is not possible for you to stay in my school. As long as you're there, disciplinary problems will continue. However, if you go to another school, I can keep your true records from being discovered, and as long as you do well on the entrance exam, you should have no trouble. In return for running errands for me, I will provide tuition and a small living expenses budget. On your part, you will do tasks for me, you will do well in the school I send you to, and you will confess to lying to the school and publicly submit to punishment."

Kagome bit her lip at the last part. "But my friends-they'll think I lied to them."

"You did lie to them human, whether with noble intentions or not. Now you must once again lie, in order to restore order to my school. Considering what I am offering in return, you are not getting a bad deal at all. Either way, you will have to stop attending my school. At least you are being given a chance to start again, as well as a chance to work for me. Whatever my enemies do or do not say about me, no one can claim that I treat those under my protection unfairly," Sesshoumaru said.

"Why are you doing this for me?" Kagome asked her voice miserable. All of the lies were catching up to her, and it was only by a lucky chance that Sesshoumaru was offering a way out.

Sesshoumaru's smile was slightly predatory, though Kagome could not see it. "I have my reasons," was all he said.

Kagome sighed. "What do I have to do?" she asked.

The next few weeks were a nightmare for Kagome. She had had to publicly confess, and her friends' reactions had been worse then she imagined. Ayumi and Houjo had looked at her like she'd run over a favored dog. She could barely speak a word to them. Eri and Yuka, on the other hand, had a yelling fit about how they had defended her status, how they'd copied notes and brought her her missed assignments, and how she was a horrible, lying witch.

And the worse part yet was that Kagome couldn't defend herself. She'd never thought she'd be grateful to be kicked out of school. Luckily, it was close to the end, so she didn't miss much. Indeed, most of her time was now spent studying for the entrance exam to her new high school. Sesshoumaru apparently never settled for less-she was enrolled in a school that made her wince every time she heard price tags. It made her worried about what, exactly, Sesshoumaru was planning on having her do since he was doing it, in part, to pay her for whatever the job was.

In addition to studying, she also had to box up most of her room. She was taking some clothes, a few things she refused to leave behind, and her bow. Everything else she had to store in the attic, or her mother was having shipped to the shrine.

She was also getting a few new miko uniforms, because her grandfather had managed to get her in as a caretaker for a shrine. She didn't want to know how he'd managed to arrange for a sixteen year old to take over a shrine, and he didn't tell her. While this was good (because she'd begun to despair about ever finding a decently-priced apartment-this way, she'd receive a salary for taking care of a shrine) it also meant that her grandfather felt the need to constantly be pushing advice down her throat. He was as happy as a clam, even though it wasn't her family shrine she was taking over.

Her mom had seemed relieved to learn that the well was closed, and was even more excited about her opportunity to go to such an exclusive school. Apparently, it was about time that all of her work in the feudal era started paying off in the here and now. Kagome didn't argue with her, since her mother had been very supportive of her going back in time.

Soon enough, she took her tests, and did surprisingly well. She got into the school (Ouran High School) and before she knew it, it was time to board the train. She watched the scenery, thinking about all she had to do before school started in a little over a week. She would need to start setting up her home, along with getting the shrine ready for visitors again. Unfortunately, she couldn't really begin making plans until she looked over the shrine, and saw what needed to be done.

It was over a three hour ride to Bunkyo, including the two times she'd had to change trains. She hailed a taxi, whose driver looked a bit askance at her load. She'd managed to get it down to two big suitcases and her bow and arrows case. Considering how much junk she'd had in her room, she thought she was doing well. It was amazing how things collect over sixteen years.

"Where to?" the taxi driver asked.

"Toshiharu Shrine," Kagome requested.

"You're kidding, right? That place hasn't been open in years," the taxi driver said even as he was pulling into the road.

"Years? I didn't know it had been that long. Anyways, I'm going to be taking over," Kagome explained, "Come over in a week, and I should hopefully have it set up."

The taxi driver burst into laughter. Kagome scowled at him, feeling defensive. "What's so funny about that?"

"Do you know how many people have tried to take over that place? No one lasts pasts the third night. They all run away yelling about monsters and ghosts. The place is cursed. And you come here thinking you're just going to take over. That's hilarious," the guy said, a broad grin on his face.

"Ha ha," Kagome deadpanned.

"Don't get so huffy, it's the truth. I doubt you'll last a week, let alone three days," the taxi driver said.

Kagome snorted. If she couldn't deal with a measly ghost or youkai, or whatever it was, she eat her bow without chewing. Even if she hadn't quite studied up on her miko skills (upon request Sesshoumaru had dug up some miko texts) she could still purify whatever was in less then ten seconds.

"That's what they all say," the taxi driver said, "If I was a dishonest person, I'd make a bet."

"If I was, I would," Kagome retorted.

"Whacha got?" the taxi driver asked.

"What do you want?" Kagome asked.

"A big tip when I drive you back to the train station," the taxi driver said.

"Fine. Because I'm a generous person, I won't ask for much. Just recommendations to my new shrine," Kagome responded.

"If you manage to stay past three nights, you'll deserve good recommendations," the taxi driver said.

The taxi driver, perhaps feeling guilty about getting what he thought was the better deal of the arrangement, actually helped her get her things up the multitude of stairs. Kagome waved goodbye to him then turned to look at the shrine. The purification trough was right by the torii gates which were guarded by a handsome set of Komainu statues, on the left side. Besides the trough a few yards away were the places where you could get ofuda for your house, and omamori, omikuji, and ema for your self or someone else. By that was where you could hang your ema, and the pine tree for tying your bad luck omikuji. It was a beautiful tree, really old with many low hanging branches for tying the omikuji too, but it had been so long since the shrine had any visitors, there weren't any old bad luck omikuji left. They'd all dissolved. There was a really big building in front of her and according to the information provided it was the main hall/offering hall. The courtyard between the entrance and the hall was very generous; at least two or three times the size of her family shrine. There was a stage for performances to her right, and around the courtyard were the shrine grounds. Kagome hadn't known the shrine was so big-her family shrine really didn't have any gardens, but this was like a small forest.

Kagome left her bags where they were and started to explore. At one time this forest had been tended, a forest garden, but everything had grown up. The old paths were overgrown, the benches were covered with leaves and moss, and the bridge that went over the small stream could use a few coats of paint. None of this mattered to Kagome. For the first time since she'd left the feudal era, she felt peace come over her. She spent a few hours wandering, taking in every inch of woodlands. Near the back of the shrine she found her new home. There were two buildings-her house, and a building that had been built up around, miracle of miracles, hot springs! Her house was pretty. It wasn't huge, but it was built in the traditional style unlike her old home. When she entered, she discovered to her delight that it had traditional paper screens. There were a few pieces of old furniture that had been covered over. A low wooden table in what must have been used as a living room at the front of the house. When she slid open panel to the left, she found a bedroom with a futon without a mattress, and a wooden table with a chair. There were two rooms to the back, one, a smaller bedroom with another futon, and the other room was the kitchen. It had a few kitchen appliances, like an old refrigerator, stove, as well as counter space. If you went through the sliding panel to the right of that room, you entered the dining room, which had a beautiful, long low table. It could probably fit quite a few people. And, if you went through a small sliding panel to the right of the living room wall, there was a small bathroom with a toilet and a small shower.

Kagome was quite happy. She would have had to pay a fortune to get an apartment this big, and now all she had to do was take care of a shrine that, while likely requiring a lot of time and effort to get to its previous glory, would be a pleasure to restore. It felt like a little piece of her feudal home.

Now that she knew where everything was, she probably needed to go bring her things to the house, and maybe go shopping for a few things. The house definitely needed new mats for the floor, and a few lamps wouldn't go amiss as well. She also, most definitely, needed cleaning supplies. And she would probably need to pick up some food.

Despite how hectic her life had been for the past few weeks, Kagome was excited. She had her own place (and it had a small forest and hot springs!) and a chance to get her modern life on track. It was still depressing to think that she'd never again be able to see her friends, and that her old friends hated her, but life here couldn't be too bad.

Kagome found her way back to the central courtyard and was surprised to find a delivery man who had just made his way to the top. He didn't look too happy either. He spotted her and scowled. Her boxes from home looked to have arrived, and she didn't really blame him for being put out. Some of them were heavy, and it must have been a pain to haul them up the steps.

"You Higurashi Kagome?" he asked gruffly.

"Yes," Kagome said.

"Sign here. I don't know the whole point of sending everything here, you're just going to be making me haul all this back tomorrow," he growled.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she frowned. "That won't be necessary."

"Ha! You're the twenty-seventh person to say that since I started working this route. From the looks of you I give you a day," the man said.

"Really? Well, I'm planning on staying here for awhile, so don't get your hopes up," Kagome said.

The man turned his back and started back down the steps, grumbling. "I won't. I'm dreading hauling these boxes back down. You'd think after the reputation this shrine's got the people coming here would think, 'Maybe I should try it out before settling all my stuff in.' but of course not! They all want to break my back."

Though Kagome felt slightly insulted, she couldn't help the small grin that came over her face. She'd probably be a bit grumpy too having to haul people's boxes up and down the stairs for several years too. She didn't really look like someone who could take on haunts either. She'd just have to prove herself.

She turned, and humming slightly, started hauling things towards the back of the property. Carrying that humongous bag for a year actually had its benefits.

She spent the day happily setting up her new home and making plans. She ran by a few stores and picked up a few things, and had some more things that would be delivered within the next few days. The utilities were already on (the Shrine-keepers Organization took care of that) and she'd made great progress in cleaning the house. Luckily, with so little furniture, and the fact that every few months or so someone new had probably stopped by in hopes that this would be their new shrine and cleaned up, this wasn't too difficult. It was rather dusty, and had needed a really good cleaning, but the house, while not really set up, was now at least clean.

Kagome set up her sleeping bag that night, since while she'd ordered a couple of futon mattresses, they wouldn't be getting there until tomorrow at the earliest. She placed her bow and arrows besides her, in case whatever was scaring off shrine-keepers showed up, and finally, at a rather late hour, went to sleep.

While Kagome usually wasn't such a deep sleeper, she'd had a long day's work. Thusly, when a large shadow appeared, a rather alarming one with dripping fangs and an alarming profile, to run its fingers down Kagome arm and hiss in her ear, she didn't wake up. In her sleep she dreamed that she was back in the feudal era, with Shippou in her arms as she slept. When she felt something touched her she dismissed it as Shippou's tail, and so the haunt was rather annoyed and disappointed when it roused no response. It tried a loud and booming command to awaken and view the horror it was. In her sleep, she thought she heard Inuyasha yelling about something or other again, probably ramen, and muttered a quiet, "Osuwari!"

The haunt, after a few more attempts to terrify the new resident of Toshiharu Shrine, seemed to shrink in size, and walked away, shoulders slumped, to the laughs of its fellow haunts. It was a competition to see who could do the best job scaring the newcomer away, and it had just failed.

The next day Kagome was able to do some unpacking. She didn't have too many things, just a few boxes that her mom had sent with her old set of plates, cups, and kitchen utensils, and some blankets. She was surprised that her mother had snuck in a vase that she'd always loved, and put it on the living room table with a few flowers in it. Around the middle of the day she heard a gong from a distance, and hurried towards the main buildings. A delivery man was there with her futon mattresses and a few other things she'd ordered, and he didn't look especially pleased to have had to wait, even though she gotten there as soon as she could. She spent some time putting down her new mats and putting sheets and blankets on her futons. She was able to spend the end of her day cleaning out the buildings in the main courtyard and getting them swept.

By the time she was ready to return, it was a bit dark out, and she still had to walk home. The second haunt decided to strike while she was awake (since the haunt's sibling had had so little success waking the human girl up the night before. It started with a rustling in the leaves. A touch at the back of a shoulder. The haunt added in a few moans and distant cries. A chilling touch to the back of her bare leg.

This newest haunt had much more success then the previous one. The girl was a bit spooked. However, instead of freaking out, she grabbed a big branch for defense. The haunt decided to step it up a notch. "Go…leave…only death awaits you here…" The final touch was a silhouette of some giant being that seemed to rise from the leaves.

And this is where the second haunt's plan fell apart. The human girl, instead of running away in terror, ran towards the giant thing, brandishing her long stick of wood. She swept it in front of her, only to discover that it was a large bush. She heard a yelp-her improvised club must have caught something, and the sound of something running away. She was curious as to how, exactly, the bush had appeared so suddenly, but passed it of as a trick of the eye, and continued on, keeping her slightly glowing stick with her the rest of the way home.

In another part of a shrine, the second haunt had to deal with the other haunts' laughter, and the last haunt's firm declaration that this coming night, it would show the other two how it was done.

The next day, instead of getting right to work, Kagome spent a little time reading in the miko texts about shields. She was surprised to discover that shimenawa rope, in addition to its traditional uses, was a good basis for a permanent barrier. She wouldn't be able to set up anything right away, since she would first need to get some shimenawa, and bless it and put it up, but it was nice to know that she'd be able to within the next couple of days. Kagome spent the rest of the day tiding up the visitors' area, cleaning out the purification trough and getting it running again, and making sure everything was spotless. She made sure to keep her bow and arrows within reaching distance, and left for home before it got too dark. She made it home safely and ate dinner, wondering about what would happen tonight, and wondering why nothing had happened to first night.

It was quiet as she lay in bed, a light blanket thrown over her bow and arrows. She wasn't going to let some paltry little ghost or whatever it was get the best of her.

This last attack started with moans and groans and clattering of chains. Kagome's grip tightened as she listened. She could hear indistinct voices crying out, and talking between themselves. Then she heard large footsteps coming through her house, and the sliding of panels as whatever it was seemed to search for her. Kagome quietly slid from the bed, and readied her bow and arrows, aiming towards the door. Soon she could begin to make out words.

"Tasty human flesh. I hear a terrified heart beat. My prey waits for me. What to start with? The delicate little fingers with the bones crunching in my mouth? An eyeball to suck the juices from? A bloody tongue? Oh, it all sounds so good! A feast tonight! I've been so hungry! Haven't feed in months…need food…"

Talk about seriously disgusting. Finally, the haunt opened the door of Kagome's bedroom (the one to the left of the living room). It was huge, filling the entire doorway. It looked like a raw, bloody thing that dripped blood. Its red eyes that seemed to cry tears of blood gleamed in the darkness. Its mouth opened in a grin, but before it could take another step, Kagome stood up, aimed, and shot it through the heart with a glowing arrow.

The monster burst into pieces as a shriek of terror filled the air. Kagome thought she heard small footsteps scurrying away, but passed it off as her imagination. She turned on the lights to see no mess of the floor. That was one good thing to say about purification-no mess to clean up. Kagome gave a smile that was only slightly gloating, slid her door shut, climbed into bed, and slept throughout the rest of the night.

In another part of the shrine, the last haunt was trembling where it stood. "It was horrible. It's a monster! A miko! She shot an arrow through the heart of my illusion and I'm lucky she didn't realize I was a bit lower, controlling it! I could have been killed!"

The other haunts looked at the third disdainfully. "Miko are a myth. They died out ages ago. Stop pulling our legs. Just admit you lost like we did."

"It's the truth!" the third one protested.

"Whatever. Let's just go home. This place is a bust," the first one said, "We need to make a report."

The next day Kagome woke up smiling. She'd lasted the third night. She'd won. She'd broken the curse. The rest of the week was spent finishing her work. She made all the things a shrine would need for visitors, set up shimenawa, partially for the shrine, and also so her low-level barrier would be set up. She spent as much of her time as she could getting the grounds into shape. By the end of the week, the shrine, while not yet at its former state of glory, was at least of a condition to entertain visitors.

While researching shields, Kagome found an interesting entry in her miko texts about shikigami. She'd known those two young miko that Tsubaki had tricked into helping her employed them, but she'd never thought about making her own. She spent a couple hours every night working on making shikigami. The highest level shikigami could resemble humans, be given a small amount of miko energy, and had enough intelligence that without spiritual powers, you wouldn't know they weren't real. If she could figure it out, instead of only being able to keep the shrine open during the hours when she wasn't at school or doing whatever Sesshoumaru was going to have her doing, she'd be able to leave one or two in charge while she was in school, and have them help her take care of the shrine. So far, the biggest she'd been able to make was a small dog, but according to the texts, all she had to keep doing was trying to make bigger and more complex shikigami until she could make human-like companions. When she got more advanced, she could make all sorts of creatures. It was actually fascinating.

She put up some flyers announcing the opening of Toshiharu Shrine from about 4-8 Monday night. Her uniform for the school had been delivered a few days ago, and a letter from the principal requested that she come early to talk to him. She was also sent a map, and the school grounds looked huge. What was the point of having such an enormous school? Rich people could be so ridiculous sometimes. This was partially evidenced by the ridiculous uniform she was to wear. She still had no idea why Sesshoumaru choose this school. She hadn't been able to get a hold of him with the number she'd been given. Stupid Sesshoumaru. Only showing up when he wished.

All too soon, it was Monday morning, Kagome was dressed in the new (and uncomfortable) uniform, and on her way to school. She stopped at the entrance way to the school, gaping slightly at the size. It really was way too big. She looked around, glad that no one was really here yet since it was so early, and made her way to the office. She had a major case of nerves (after all, what were a few demons compared to peer pressure? At least it was possible to purify demons, but you couldn't do anything about other teens). It was with a large gulp she stepped into the office of the high school principal. She did not have a good feeling about this.

End Chapter One.

Before going to my research notes, I'd like to thank wikipedia, , and a few other sites I can't currently remember the names of for having this information available. I'd also like to note that I am not sure whether there is an actual Shrine-keepers Organization that provides funding and help makes sure that shrine across Japan are staffed and running properly, but I think it makes sense that there would be some sort of an organization for that type of thing.

Note 1: Ouran High School Host Club takes place in Bunkyo, one of twenty-three special wards of Tokyo. Basically, a special ward is like a mini-city within the larger city, with its own mayor and everything. Also, Tokyo covers more then the twenty-three special wards. So, while Kagome never technically moves from Tokyo, from what I understand, it is quite possible for Kagome to be living quite some distance from her former home. For further information, please consult wikipedia, which is where I got my information from.

Note 2: I have trouble looking up Japanese words other then baby names, so the closest thing I could get to a name was Toshiharu, which the baby name website defined as "Genius Peace." Whether that's right or not, at the time I was tired and just wanted to go ahead and pick out a name. If any have a more accurate shrine name that means peace, please let me know and I'll consider it.

Note 3: Torri gates are the gates marking an entrance to a shrine. Komainu are the stone guardians at the entrance, usually dogs but occasionally foxes. A purification trough is kind of like how you go into a Catholic church and there is blessed water which you dip your hands in and cross yourself. However, with a purification trough you take a ladle, dip water, and rinse your hands to purify them. Traditionally, you also pour some water into your hands and clean your mouth out, spitting the water out to the side, but most people don't do that anymore. I'm not really surprised.

Note 4: Ofuda, which are used for banishing demons in Inuyasha, are actually traditionally used to bless houses-for instance, depending on what you get, attract or deflect certain things. Omamori are like mini ofuda that are kept in an unopened bag, and are more of a one person, rather then a dwelling, thing. Omikuji are papers that have fortunes that range from basically really good luck to really bad luck. Bad luck/curses are tied onto a shrine tree, and good fortunes are kept. Ema are generally wooden plates with a picture that you write your request on, and hang up on a rack at the shrine. They are generally available at a shrine, however from what I understand you can also bring your own and hang it. It is believed best if the picture corresponds to your wish. Shimenawa are the ropes with the squiggly pieces of paper hanging from them that marks the boundary to a sacred place as well as being used to show something is sacred, like being tied around a special tree or rock.

I have a question for anyone who might know. What do shrine-keepers do with monetary offering to the shrine's kami? I'm going to guess that it goes towards shrine-upkeep, and the shrine-keeper has to keep records and everything, but if anyone knows for sure, please let me know!

Okay. Now that all that is over, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Unfortunately, it was mostly set up. We'll start to get more into the actual story next chapter, so I hope to see you again then. As always, reviews are appreciated and lovingly saved.


	2. Chapter 2

Another Time, Another Place

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Ouran High School Host Club. I wish I did, I could use the money…

This chapter is dedicated to all of my reviewers for the first chapter. You made quite a showing, and as thanks, a slightly quicker update then planned. Ya'll rock!

**Another Time, Another Place**

_Chapter Two_

Kyoya, having arrived early as usual, sat at the school desk sorting through papers. Being the excellent student he was, people might think that he was doing some preemptive studying. Those who knew him better, however, wouldn't be too surprised to discover that what he was sorting through were updated files on old students, and the information so far discovered on the incoming year.

Most of the information was already known to him, but Kyoya enjoyed going through it again. He liked knowing things. He liked being able to control his situation, and manipulate it. Being the third son, a deft hand and an ingratiating smile were often required. Being Kyoya required much more. At almost every moment in the day, background plans were being conceived, evaluated, and then either discarded, or acted upon. There were a few moments where he woke up, not being a morning person, in which his brain had yet to function, but unfortunately, he was a human being and certain defects were to be expected, planned for, and circumvented.

There was a new scholarship student in the twins' class-a girl named Fujioka Haruhi. Pretty, but not someone who was likely to be involved in the Host Club, considering her lack of funds, and apparent devotion to scholarly pursuits. She had apparently been popular for her looks in her middle school, but had brushed off all offers to date. Not someone he would likely need to concern himself with.

There were, of course, the incoming freshmen, but despite the fact that they were new students, having grown up among the elite of Japan, he either knew most of them personally, or knew the family.

Really, the most interesting addition to the school was the transfer student that was going to be joining his class. Higurashi was not a name of the elite. Her family was not one that had become rich overnight, nor was it old money. Her previous school had not been listed, but the name of her sponsor to the school, Fumitaka Kozue, had been. A brilliant businessman that Kyoya admired greatly, Fumitaka was known for being ruthless, and yet his businesses which were varied, specialized in being environmentally friendly. He was known to have a manner so intimidating and unnerving that all he had to do was look at a man to send him cowering, but was also known for sponsoring many orphanages and schools. He was also a recluse, being seen generally only when conducting business and never showing up for informal gatherings, regardless of the fact that business was also often conducted in those settings as well.

Not only was he all these things, but he was also old blood. The Fumitaka family had been around for generations.

So why had he sponsored Higurashi? There was practically no information in her folder other than her name, age, and current address. This was unusual, since his sources were good-they always provided not only the facts on file, but more personal information. Because he knew this, it was likely that someone had buried her files for some currently unknown reason. There was the possibility that she worked in the government and was here undercover, though Kyoya rather doubted that. The government would put more work into making a background for her, if they wanted her to not be suspicious.

It seemed more likely that she was connected to Fumitaka in some way, had done something for him and in return, he financed her tuition to this school. It was possible she slept with him. A smart woman would realize that by asking for this as payment, she would better her chances in life, or at least would have a chance at snaring a wealthy husband.

Another possibility was that she had done or was doing some sort of job for him. This seem a bit unlikely (why would someone like Fumitaka chose a girl not yet out of school when he could well afford someone more qualified) but was a possibility. Maybe he meet her somehow, she caught his interest, and he decided to make her a charity project, though this didn't seem that likely, considering that he mainly concentrated on making sure young children, not teenagers, stayed off the streets and were treated well.

Another note of interest was, since his contacts had failed so spectacularly at digging up information on Higurashi, they had included a page about her current residence. She had apparently taken over a Shinto shrine that had apparently been scaring away prospective caretakers for years now. The longest length of time anyone had stayed before her was three days-she'd lasted over a week now. It was unusual that someone so young, however, would be taking over a shrine, and the fact that she was taking over a shrine didn't support some of his possible theories. Maybe Fumitaka was a superstitious man, and Higurashi had done some sort of spiritual favor. Again, unlikely since Japan was obviously full of miko and priests-why a sixteen year old girl?

Kyoya smiled slightly. Regardless of the reasons, Higurashi was in some way connected to Fumitaka. Considering the fact he was such a recluse, this would be a chance for him to possibly develop contacts. He would need to do some more research, however, to discover which angle best to use. His usual channels didn't work, which was disappointing, but understandable, considering his sources weren't perfect. Besides, it would be just that much more fulfilling when he finally figured everything out.

"What are you plotting? You look like your plotting something" Tamaki asked with a grin as he slid into the seat beside him, "Are you making plans for the Host Club? I can't wait until we can go-I've missed it this summer! And now there's a whole new class of freshmen girls who have not yet had the chance for us to brighten their day!"

Kyoya smiled slightly. "The summer break was beneficial to our sales due to our absence, but as you said, this is a good chance to increase our clientele."

Tamaki rolled his eyes but smiled, "You are such a devious person," he said.

While they were talking, more people were entering the classroom. Kyoya noticed the person he knew must be Higurashi (after all, he'd known almost everyone in this class from the moment they started school together) but restrained himself from looking too closely. Tamaki, while a bit of an overenthusiastic puppy personality, paid more attention then one might think to his surroundings, and Kyoya most certainly did not want Tamaki involved yet. He might be useful later, depending, but until he knew for sure, it was better not to pay any special attention to her. Tamaki might get the idea that Kyoya had some sort of ridiculous school crush on her, and decide to set them up.

So it was that Kyoya gathered tidbits of information about the new student throughout the day without attracting attention to the fact that he was.

She was interesting. Transfer students were not common, and which made everyone intensly curious. As everyone else quickly figured out, she was not a member of the upper class. When questioned, she revealed that she was helping Fumitaka with something, and this was part of her salary. When asked for details, she said that she was required to keep job information confidential.

Unfortunately for her, Ouran High School Students were as prone to gossiping, speculation, and the creating of fantasy as any other teenagers. Also unfortunately, the story tended to favor the idea that Higurashi was having sexual relations with Fumitaka, and when Higurashi violently denied that possibility, that only cemented the impression that that was indeed her "job." As soon as that story was settled upon, it spread quickly throughout the school, and Higurashi was the school pariah. It wasn't as overt as it might have been in other schools in which students hadn't been raised to be as polite, but it was outright snubbing all the same.

Kyoya rather thought it was a pity. He'd already pretty much thrown that possibility out, since he'd been observing her expression closely when she realized what they thought she did, the look wasn't denial, but horror. She seemed repulsed at the idea, which was another oddity. Fumitaka was a rather good looking man, and it wouldn't be surprising if she was attracted to him, but she obviously wasn't.

After the conclusion had been drawn that she was "available" to the highest bidder, she'd had a boy attempt to sit next to her during lunch. He'd acted friendly, from what Kyoya observed, but he'd obviously ended up suggesting something quite offensive, and she'd slapped him. His face still looked a bit red, and both sexes were avoiding Higurashi at the moment. He wasn't sure how long that would last, however. Higurashi was rather comely, and a breed apart from Ouran girls. Where most girls at Ouran had been raised to be ladies and with a few variations, mostly appeared to be porcelain dolls, Higurashi was an athlete. She moved with a grace reminiscent of Mori and Hunny, and Kyoya suspected that she was trained in some sort of martial arts. While he'd not been there at the time, he'd overheard the story of the girls' gym class. They'd been assigned laps, and Kagome had overlapped most of the girls at least twice by the time she was finished. The coach had apparently about begged for her to join the track team (she'd beaten all of their best times) but she'd refused.

Kyoya had also been slightly amused at the fact that no one really talked about Higurashi around Tamaki. He'd gotten a bit of a reputation for helping out the helpless, and no one wanted him taking on another stray. As this suited his purposes for the moment, Kyoya kept silent. Tamaki would probably scold him if he knew Kyoya was allowing a fair "flower" to be abused when innocent of the rumors, but she'd gotten herself into the situation by not anticipating possible reactions to her story, and Kyoya was interested in seeing how she dealt with it without outside assistance.

* * *

That afternoon, something happened that would likely distract Tamaki for some time. The new scholarship student Fujioka Haruhi had stumbled into their club and broken a vase, thus incurring a debt to the Host Club. Kyoya had been rather surprised when he realized who she was-her middle school picture which had been included in the file had looked nothing like the unkempt waif that had appeared in their midst. She honestly appeared to be a male, and Kyoya was enjoying watching the Host Club members as they failed to realize that one key fact. They'd had her doing chores all day, but he was sure it wouldn't be long before someone had the bright idea of giving her a makeover (or a return to a civilized appearance, since she had looked fine before she'd started attending here) and made her a host. He made a private bet with himself that they wouldn't find out the fact that she was a girl until after that happened.

* * *

All in all, the school year had started out well, Kyoya thought as he settled into his chair in front of the computer at home. He had a puzzle in the form of Higurashi Kagome, and Fujioka Haruhi, who, while previously dismissed as inconsequential, seemed to have great potential for latter amusement, especially with her attitude that could best be described as deadpan oblivious innocence. However, while Haruhi did have potential as amusement, he had larger goals to tackle. Such as finding out whom, exactly, Higurashi Kagome was, and how he could use her to meet Fumitaka and win him over as a contact.

To Kyoya's amusement, no one in fact realized she was a she until after she'd become a host. Tamaki, of course, had been the last, for while he could be amazingly intuitive at times, at others, he remained remarkably obtuse. On a positive note, Haruhi seemed to have a lot of promise, especially as a host for the shy type of girls who felt overwhelmed by some of the other hosts. She was always calm and polite, and paid attention to them without making them nervous. She also seemed unaware of her charm, and they seemed to like that as well. Ever girl she hosted could imagine Haruhi as a potential husband, someone kind, caring, devoted, and perfect for raising a family. All in all, Haruhi was a promising addition to the Host Club.

While that was going well, he was having a slightly more difficult time with Higurashi. After her rather disastrous first day, she remained aloof and separate from the others. She could often be found in her books or making notes in her notebook. She also seemed to observe people a lot, rather like him in that respect. Kyoya had been tempted several times to go and speak to her, but felt a bit uncomfortable without a source of data. Most of the time, the people he spoke with either were people he knew all about, or people who didn't really matter. Unfortunately, she did matter, and he still didn't know anything about her.

So, for once, he decided he would be a bit adventurous, and talk to her without sources. He didn't want to speak to her at school-for one, people would get the wrong impression, and two, the school grounds were enemy territory for her. If he went to her shrine, a place that while public, was hers, she'd feel more at home and less defensive.

So Kyoya made sure that the Host Club wrapped up things quickly, and gave his driver instructions to the Toshiharu Shrine. Once he arrived, he told Hiro that he might be here for some time, and he'd call when he was ready. The shrine steps, like many other shrines, were numerous in number, but Kyoya was fit, and, since Tamaki like dragging him around all over the place, was used to climbing stairs.

To Kyoya's surprise, for a shrine that had barely been open to the public about a week, it was relatively crowded. A row of people stood in front of the stand where the various charms were sold, and more people could be seen wandering about.

Higurashi, who was manning the stand, looked a bit frazzled, and Kyoya thought it might be best to wait until business had slowed down. He wandered around, seeing the sights. While the shrine had obviously had a lot of work done to bring it back to it's former glory, Kyoya could tell that Higurashi hadn't yet finished doing all the things she wished. The garden paths near the shrine looked nice, but it was obvious that some of the plants were either new, and had yet to grow in, or were old, and had recently been severely cut back. The farther you got from the main part of the shrine, the more unkempt it was. She was obviously having trouble getting time to work on cleaning things up, being the only person here to tend to anything.

Maybe, if things went well, Kyoya could offer to loan her some of his gardeners. It was always better to offer things needed rather than empty gifts that would only be displayed for their value.

Never the less, Kyoya enjoyed the peace and quiet in the forest garden. He seldom had a chance to get away from crowds of people. At home there were either servants or his sister practicing her house keeping skills (which she needed, but he'd rather she didn't practice on him, or just let the servants, who were PAID to do so, do so). At school, of course, there was practically no place he could have some quiet.

However, this was not his main purpose in coming here, and Kyoya eventually wandered back to the main area. It was getting darker, and was close to the time the shrine was to close. Higurashi appeared to be deeply involved in thought while she swept, but she must have heard him approach because she looked up and spotted him. Her surprise didn't really register until she noticed the uniform. She had obviously not spotted him earlier, but with no one to distract her, her attention went directly to him. Her face shuttered slightly, and she looked at him, measuring and a bit wary. Kyoya simply stood there, hands in pockets, as she took him in.

"Hello," she said finally, "You're Ootori Kyoya, right?"

"Yes," Kyoya said, and walked a little closer. "The grounds here are very nice. Did you do all the work yourself?"

She flushed slightly. "I haven't been able to work on them that much. Between school and all of the visitors, I don't have much time to tend to them as I might wish. I do like gardening though, and I'm looking forward to when I can really spend some time on them."

Hm. Maybe a no on offering the services of gardeners then. "Still, you've done well so far."

She flushed a little more and looked away, obviously uncomfortable with the praise. "Thank you. So, did you come here to look at the shrine, or did you want to talk to me?"

Kyoya smiled slightly. "I came to speak to you, though it was an added benefit to see a shrine that has such a dedicated worker. I was surprised, though, that so many people were here after it just opened."

Higurashi's shoulders slumped slightly as she looked at the mess she was cleaning up. "I know. I wasn't planning for it-I should have been. With this shrine's reputation, when someone actually managed to stay and open it, everyone wanted to see who managed it. And then people started talking about how the omamori they got for school helped them pass the test and another who'd gotten an ofuda for keeping away pests had a decrease in flies and such, suddenly everyone's been coming, wanting their own, and then some of them want personalized ones, which I have to spend more time on."

Kyoya's mouth twitched slightly. "I've never heard someone more dismayed at their own success."

Higurashi laughed self-consciously. "I guess that's true. I am grateful the shrine's doing well, though. My grandfather will be proud to hear of my success."

Kyoya, seeing his opportunity, jumped at the chance to get some information. "Your grandfather? What does he do?"

"He takes care of the Higurashi Shrine. He's always been on my brother and me to become shrine keepers like him. When he found out I'd be coming here, the first thing he did was see if he could get me to take over a shrine. This was a dream come true for him," Higurashi said.

"You didn't want to come here?" Kyoya asked.

"No," Higurashi said, "However, I have found that I really do love this shrine, despite all the trouble it's causing me. But enough about me, what can I do for you?" She looked a bit suspiciously at Kyoya.

Kyoya, anticipating this, decided to be mostly honest. "Well, I'd heard Fumitaka had sponsored you. I've always admired him as a businessman, but he's a bit of a recluse. I was hoping you could tell me a bit about him."

Higurashi blinked. "You admire him?"

"He is rather brilliant at what he does," Kyoya said.

Higurashi, as he suspected, seemed relieved that he wasn't interested so much in her and her story, but in Fumitaka, though she obviously couldn't understand why he'd be interested in her boss.

"Well, then," she said briskly, "I'm about done here. Let me lock things up, and then you can come with me to my house. I'm a bit hungry, and I have dinner cooking. You're welcome to join me."

That was…sudden. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. On one hand, she'd obviously went pretty much straight to work when she got home, and didn't want to be rude and send him away to have dinner, but on the other hand, it seemed a bit forward to invite him over when she barely knew him. Well, he could always leave if things didn't go well, and hopefully her cooking wouldn't be too unpalatable. He made a quick call to let Hiro know that he would probably be a couple more hours while he waited. Higurashi quickly finished, and emerged from the stand carrying a quiver full of arrows over her shoulder and a rather large bow in her hands.

She smiled a bit at his surprise. "A miko's gotta have her bow and arrows, right?" she said cheerfully, "My house is this way."

Her house was even deeper into the woods then he'd wandered, probably as it was located in the far corner of the property. It was alarmingly small, but the solitude she had probably more then made up for it. And Tamaki would adore it. It was done in a very traditional manner. It was very sparse, but it looked elegant. There was no TV, though she did have a CD player. She brought him into the dining, from which he could see her stirring a pot, after which she put a frying pan on the stove and put something in. While that started warming up, she brought over two pair of chopsticks.

"Give me just a couple more minutes," Higurashi asked, before returning to the kitchen and getting out a couple of bowls. While the bowls were mass-produced dishes, they were a rather fetching shade of forest green. She flipped over whatever she was frying, and then started serving what appeared to be udon (oden). She covered the pot back up, turned off the burner under the frying pan, and put what looked to be aburaage (sweetened deep-fried tofu pockets) on top, finishing up what was apparently kitsune udon.

She brought the bowls over, placing one in front of Kyoya, and the other at the head where she was sitting. She brought over two cups, and asked, "Is there anything you want to drink?"

"Water will be fine," Kyoya said. Higurashi nodded, and brought out a glass pitcher of water that had been chilling in the refrigerator, which looked rather antique. She poured the water and then sat down.

"Itadakimasu," they said, and began eating. Kyoya was pleasantly surprised to discover that the dish had been well made and tasted quite palatable. As both were hungry, they ate quietly for a few minutes before Higurashi spoke. "So, what did you want to know about Fumitaka?"

"What do you know about him?" Kyoya asked.

She seemed to think about this, taking a bit of her udon. "He's a grumpy, manipulative, greedy, powerful, unbelievably arrogant, presumptuous know-it-all."

Kyoya raised his eyebrows as the corner of his mouth twitched. "Really…"

"Yes," Higurashi's voice was firm. "Of course he also has a sense of justice, of what is right and wrong, and never deviates from that course. He can be kind, when he chooses. And while he doesn't know it all, I will admit that he does know most of it, not that I'd ever tell him."

"It almost sounds like you might not hate him," Kyoya said, still amused, and so feeling safe in acting a bit familiar.

Higurashi smiled. "I don't. He annoys the crap out of me, and he frankly sometimes terrifies me, not that I ever let him know it. We having a working relationship, I'd guess you would call it."

Kyoya really wanted to ask what exactly it was she did, but things were going well-it would be rather idiotic to ask a question that was apparently so sensitive after all the commotion at school.

Higurashi, however, seemed to guess what he wanted to ask, sighed and said. "You know, I can't really say anything about my job-it's in a contract. I never thought I'd need to sign a confidentiality contract, you know? It's like he thinks I have a big mouth or something. Anyways, about the most I could say is that I'm sort of his errand girl. I go out and get things done for him in this part of Tokyo."

"The way you phrased that, you make yourself sound like a mafia member or an assassin," Kyoya pointed out, smiling a bit at the thought. She really neither looked nor seemed like the type. Of course, on the other hand, no one would ever suspect Hunny was the martial artist he was…

Kagome shook her head. "I guess it did sound like that, didn't it? Well, anyways, enough about boring Fumitaka. What do you like doing?"

"Hm," Kyoya said thoughtfully, "I'm a member of the Host Club at Ouran High."

"Host Club? They have a Host Club there? This school is crazy," Higurashi said fervently, "Did you know the track coach won't stop hounding me? It's not like I'm doing anything special, I'm just running, but he's taken to stalking me around the school halls!"

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "From what I heard, you're a rather good runner."

"You'd be too, in my situation," Higurashi muttered, then shook her head. "Anyways, Ootori-san, tell me about this Host Club. Girls really go there? And you are in it? You don't seem the type."

"Please, call me Kyoya. We have many people who go there, and I'm more in the managerial side of things," Kyoya admitted.

"Kagome, then," Kagome requested, "And I wasn't saying I couldn't imagine girls liking you, I mean you are cute, I mean…" Kagome had a fierce blush on her face, and Kyoya was smiling broadly.

"I knew that wasn't what you meant. I'm not really the sort that seems like he'd enjoy wasting most of his time with girls. I do, however, enjoy managing things. Tamaki and the others are the ones who are best suited for what they do, and I take care of the details," Kyoya said.

"You do seem the type to enjoy handling things. And I hope you don't mind wasting your time with me," Kagome said, with her blush having faded but still there.

"I'm not wasting it. Aside from be sponsored by someone I admire, you are quite the anomaly," Kyoya admitted.

"I'd take offense, but my life ceased being normal over a year ago. Why do you think I'm odd?" Kagome asked.

Kyoya, who had NOT planned on admitting that he was investigating her, for once found he was unable to keep the truth from spilling out of his lips. "I keep records on all of the students at Ouran High. All I can find for you is your name, current address, and age. That's all."

Kagome grinned, leaning forward and putting her chin on top of her hands. "So, you're one of those."

Kyoya, rather abashed at her reaction, leaned back slightly as he folded his arms. "One of what kind?"

"The nosy kind. The kind that has to know everything," Kagome said.

"It's a hobby," Kyoya said, on the defensive now.

"Not for you it isn't. The fact that you are that sort of person, however, is very interesting. And it's going to drive you crazy that you will be unable to find out everything that really matters about me, isn't it?" she asked.

"What makes you think I won't be able to?" Kyoya asked, going on the offensive.

"You can try. But will you believe?" Kagome said, a faint, maybe sad smile on her face.

Kyoya noted the odd phrasing, "will you believe?" for later thought. "A challenge, then?" he asked, pushing up his glasses.

"Of sorts. If you know enough, my contract says I can tell you. But until then, you'll have to do everything on your own." Kagome had an odd look, excited and wistful, "I wish you luck. In the meantime, however, I have pocky for dessert, and I want to hear more about your Host Club. Did you found it?"

They talked late into the night. Kagome let a few more hints fall, though she might not have realized it, and Kyoya, while enjoying the conversation, (for some reason, she was easier to talk to then most people. He found himself telling her things he didn't normally confess too. Maybe it was the fact she seemed to know who he was –a devious, crafty bastard- and didn't seem to care. Either way, it was nice to have someone to talk to without any pressure, or fear of things being repeated.) also wished to hurry home and research those very clues. Kyoya had been challenged, and challenges were something Kyoya made sure to never loose. So while he did want to stay longer, his overwhelming desire to get a head start on winning this challenge prompted him to reluctantly bring the conversation to a close. Kagome, however, offered to walk him to the shrine stairs.

"That's really not necessary," Kyoya protested, though he didn't really want to refuse.

"Haven't you heard the rumors? The forest is haunted. You need a miko escort at night," Kagome said, slinging her quiver back over her shoulder and taking up her bow once more.

"Really?" Kyoya asked, his voice sounding dubious, but with a smile on his face. They didn't really talk on the way back, enjoying the silence and the sounds of the night creatures moving through the forest.

"You have a good night. Sorry for keeping you so late. Do I need to call a cab?" Kagome asked, suddenly nervous.

"No. I've sent a text message to my driver; he should be here, ah, there. See?" Kyoya said a trifle smugly.

"Rich people," Kagome said, shaking her head, "Have you really kept that poor person waiting for you while we talked?"

"He's getting paid, and he's been able to go do whatever he wanted within a reasonable distance," Kyoya said.

Kagome just rolled her eyes. "Get on with you," she said, making a shooing motion, "You need to get home so that poor man can get some rest."

"Rest well," Kyoya said, ignoring her admonishments as he started down the stairs.

"You too," Kagome said, "And next time, make a set time for when you're going to be leaving at least so the poor man doesn't have to wait around for your call or text."

"That poor man isn't poor. We pay him, remember?" Kyoya said. He smiled as he heard her huff of exasperation. He reached the car soon after that. "Take me home, Hiro," and whimsically, thinking of Kagome, added, "Thank you for waiting."

End Chapter Two

Well, what does everyone think? This would have been out yesterday, but since this was my first time writing Kyoya, I wanted my friend's opinion on whether I kept him mostly in character or not. She seemed pretty enthusiastic, so luckily for you I didn't have to rewrite the whole thing. It will be switching back to Kagome's point of view next chapter, and we'll be covering what's been happening to her the past week. Anyways, thanks again to everyone for the reviews. They really inspired me to get off my butt (figuratively speaking, since I don't exactly write standing up…) and start the next chapter. I'm really glad everyone's enjoyed it so far, and hope you liked this chapter!

PS To my DC readers-don't worry (and don't kill me). I'm just sulking because of Truth Will Prevail. I'll get over it, and start working on them again soon, but only after I finish sulking.


	3. Chapter 3

^_^' Sorry about the wait! My computer has died twice since I updated. Once, I had to replace it, and the second time I had to replace a part. As much as I love my computers, I don't think that they love me back.

And a **BIG** thank you to all of my reviewers. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. I've never written a story quite this popular and I keep expecting something to go BOOM! on me. Your support has greatly appreciated, and the only thing I regret is that real life interfered, preventing me from being able to update this story for all of you amazing people. Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Ouran High School Host Club

**Another Place, Another Time**

_Chapter Three_

The teacher's words flowed through one ear and out the other as Kagome sat in class. Considering the fact that this was math, one of her worst subjects, she ought to have been listening more closely. However, she was currently more involved in yelling at herself.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! She should have known she needed to come up with a better story then, "Hey, I work for Sesshoumaru, but since you're just an oblivious human, you can't know anything about my job!" She should have made up something, for the love of udon! Now, they know the job is secret, and if she came up with a story, they'd automatically assume she was lying, which she would be. Stupid!

And now everyone thought that she and Sesshoumaru were...Kagome shuddered at the thought. He was inhumanly cute and hot, but on the other hand, she'd meet a lot of seriously hot guys back in the feudal era, bad and good. She'd rather have someone a little less cute and a little more talkative...and with more emotions...besides, he probably drooled in his sleep, and considering his doggy drool could melt through the bed spread, sheets, mattress, and floor, not to mention her, well, she'd rather NOT find out.

Not to mention he was how old now? She couldn't remember, but she wanted someone a little closer to her age. And race. She wasn't saying that being with a demon or half demon was bad, but as she'd matured, she'd realized she didn't want to get older and older, and always wonder if they stayed with her only out of pity and fond memories, if they even stayed. If they didn't stay, that would be even worse.

Kagome shook her head. She was getting off topic. Damage control, damage control. She couldn't go around protesting to everyone that she wasn't a well-paid whore. Well, she could, but she'd noticed, over the years, that that only seemed to cement the idea that whoever was doing the protesting, wasn't telling the truth. It would be better for her to calmly and quietly stick to the truth, make sure her behavior continued to stay above par, and stay off the radar. This certainly wouldn't be what her old persona would do, but she'd gotten older since then. Having to learn patience while she constantly remained second class to the one she loved, having to keep going even when it seemed they'd never be able to defeat Naraku and restore the jewel, and then ending up back in her era, where she found out that things really were easier without her, and her jewel there, really changed her outlook on things. Her old campaigner personality was still there, but right now she just wanted a break. It grated that they had such a low opinion of her, but at least she'd have a chance for some quiet, and time to get used to being back in her world permanently.

* * * * * * * *

She was still feeling a bit melancholy when PE came around. Luckily, it was something simple-running laps. And at least she got to wear a more comfortable uniform as compared to that monstrosity she was supposed to wear daily. As soon as the whistle blew she burst forward, running as if there was a demon chasing after her. Running was peaceful. She could concentrate on the feel of her muscles, the wind against her body, the pounding of her feet on the track...instead of worries and thoughts bombarding her, all she needed to worry about was going faster. She could go faster. She could. A little more...a little more...

A whistle blew close at her ear, and she stumbled. Kagome looked around and was surprised to find everyone staring at her. "Is PE over?" she asked.

"Why weren't you on a track team?" the coach asked, in a voice that sounded strangely reverent.

"What? I was just running," Kagome said.

"Running? Running! That was a masterpiece of motion! A symphony! You were like a gazelle, a cheetah! You cannot let such talent go to waste! Join the track team!" the teacher said triumphantly even as she was crying from...was that joy? What was it about her that she attracted all the weirdoes?

"Er...thank you, but I don't really have any time to join the track team," Kagome said, trying to be tactful.

The teacher's face fell slightly, but she recovered quickly. "You can't let such talent go to waste, though! With my help, you could become great! You could go to the Summer Olympics! Win the gold!"

Kagome took a deep breath and let it out. Okay. She could handle this. She'd dealt with crazies before. "I don't run to be better then anyone else," she said finally, "I run because I love it. If I started competing, it would cease to be something I love, and become solely about competition. I don't want that to happen." Was she good, or what? Well, at least when she remembered to actually tell a more creative version of the truth. Now, if only she'd thought to use these skills earlier...

The teacher narrowed her eyes slightly, as if she were turning the words over in her head to make sure she wasn't being tricked then shook her head. "You speak eloquently, but I'm not to be deterred! I'm will get you to join the track team if it's the last thing I do! Meanwhile, I want you to run more laps! We can't let such talent go to waste! Go, go, go!"

'Well, that was a rather unpleasant experience,' Kagome thought as she rinsed off in the showers. For some reason the teacher thought if she could keep making Kagome run more laps, maybe she'd change her mind. She looked around nervously. All the girls were staring at her worse then before. She hadn't really paid attention to them other then to avoid them while running, but it was possible she'd passed them a few times. It wasn't her fault she was good! Having to walk all day almost everyday, as well as dodge and run away from various demons who sought to take her life had really motivated her to become pretty good at moving at high speeds.

Kagome sighed as she toweled herself off and got back into her new school uniform. She followed her classmates as they headed back to the main school, looking at the gardens on either side. There were some nice fountains, but she preferred a garden that didn't look like someone had planned everything down to the very last inch of grass.

Soon it was lunchtime, and Kagome gratefully sat down to eat her food. She wasn't expecting anyone to sit by her, so it was quite a surprise when a boy sat down right besides her.

"Hello," Kagome said, looking at him curiously.

"Hi," the boy said back, a friendly smile on his face. He looked as if he was in the year below her, and had average looks, with black hair and brown eyes. Well, he might have been more exceptional in her old school, but it seemed like almost everyone had at least a certain level of looks. "You're Higurashi Kagome, right?"

"Yes," Kagome said. She was starting to get a bad feeling about this, even though he was acting polite. Something about him...

"I'm Tanaka Hiro. So, you 'work' for Fumitaka, huh? What's his policy on you working more then one job at a time, huh?" the boy asked. His mouth suddenly had a leering slant to it.

Kagome's eyebrow twitched. "I already quite busy, thank you," she bit out. She reminded herself firmly that this was a high-class school, and that she'd grown up over the past several months, and that this little snake of a boy wasn't enough to get on her nerves.

"Busy, huh?" the boy's smile grew slightly, "I doubt that. Fumitaka is old. Don't worry; we can keep it a secret between us. My family isn't poor."

Kagome closed her eyes and tried to stay calm. What did Keade always tell her about managing her anger? Center herself? "That has nothing to do with it," she bit out.

Now the boy looked angry. "You cheap whore! I can't believe you'd rather do an old man like him then..."

He didn't get any further. Screw being centered. She slapped him, stood up, and marched away.

* * * * * * * *

Kagome had finally managed to calm herself down as she changed into her uniform for working at the shrine. Well, not calm, exactly, but she'd managed to put her rather disastrous day out of her mind for now. She tied back her hair, and looked at herself. "You can do this," she said.

She moved around the main area, putting a few final touches here and there, and so didn't notice that someone had come up behind her. She might have been more alert if it had been closer to four (four still being fifteen minutes away) but she didn't think anyone would be here this early. To be honest, she wasn't expecting much of a crowd at all.

"I'll be," the voice said from behind her, "I couldn't believe it when I read the signs. All those people, and you're the one who manages to break the curse."

Kagome whirled around, looking at the man. Her eyes widened slightly. "You're...the taxi driver. I guess I never got your name, sorry."

He chuckled a bit. "I forgot to give it. My name's Arashi."

"Well, Arashi-san. I'm still here," Kagome said with a grin on her face.

"You sure you didn't just sleep in a hotel or something the past few nights?" Arashi asked.

Kagome huffed slightly. "I don't see what the big deal was. Why everyone else got so freaked out is beyond me. And they called themselves priests."

Arashi stared at her for a few seconds, before bursting into laughter. "Very well, very well, I concede the bet. You really didn't have trouble, though?" he asked, "I've heard the stories-they weren't all made up, were they?"

Kagome shrugged. "I didn't have any trouble the first night, the second night I thought I heard something in the bushes, but if there was anything there, it ran away, and the third night, just about as easily handled."

Arashi shook his head. "Well, I'll definitely be recommending people here," he said finally, "I've got to go, I need to get back to work, but I wanted to stop by and wish you luck."

"Thanks," Kagome said, "You sure you don't want to walk around, see the place you'll be recommending?"

"No, I'm on the clock, but I'm sure my wife will be eager to make me visit. Good luck with your first day," Arashi said before turning around to leave.

Oh well. Hopefully that wasn't the only visitor she would be getting today.

* * * * * * * *

It was nine before she made it back to her house. Visitors hadn't been too far behind Arashi, and had flowed in a mostly continuous stream until after eight, when she was supposed to be closed. Even though she'd thought she'd made up more then enough omamori and ofuda and such, she'd ran out after the first couple of hours. She'd spent a bit of time on them, a little so that they'd attract a fortuitous turn of events to the person buying, but…now she'd have to make more. And everyone kept asking her about the ghosts and wanting to talk to her about where she came from and other things. She didn't mind talking to people, but there were just so many of them, and they all wanted personal attention.

Kagome collapsed on her bed with a sigh of regret. She hadn't really had a chance to eat dinner, but she was exhausted. She really...she needed...to get...to find...to make…help…something…

* * * * * * * *

Kagome's alarm rang at an ungodly hour. She'd set it for two so she could get up early enough to do all the things she needed to before school, like make some more things for the shrine. She got up and hurried through getting dressed and grabbing a bit to eat so she could get to work. She spent almost all of her time making ofuda and omamori, since that had been what had gone the quickest, and a little time practicing on her shikigami. She seriously needed to figure out how to make some assistants, because she didn't think she'd be able to find anyone to hire very quickly who would be good, know what they needed to know without training, would put up with the pay Kagome could afford, and wouldn't mind working for someone younger then them. But learning to make assistants took time as well.

Kagome sighed as she sat down in her seat just as the bell rang. She'd barely made it. She was truly grateful she had a study period in which to do some of her homework, because otherwise she wouldn't have had any time to get it done. As it was, she ended up having to spend every spare moment on homework, because there was even more of it today. She had some reading still for history, of all things; along with questions she'd have to answer about the reading by the time her day was over with. But first, she'd have to put in her time at the shrine today. Hopefully, it wouldn't be so busy today.

When Kagome got home, she found that today looked to be worse then yesterday. Unfortunately, there was a small crowd waiting for her to get to work. It was still thirty minutes before the shrine was technically open, but she found herself rushing through the things she had to do and opening early because she could feel them all waiting for her.

Apparently, she'd done a little too well on her ofuda and omamori. They worked.

"Oh, I just had to come and get another ofuda from you, dear! I put the one I got yesterday to promote peace up, because my husband and teenage son have been arguing a lot, and it was actually quiet yesterday. And I wanted to get some omamori too. And I told all my friends-they're going to be coming too!" one woman said. She reminded Kagome vaguely of her mom, with her short hair, and Kagome thanked her with a smile and told her she was glad it helped.

"I got this omamori because I was worried about school-there's this one teacher I'd heard about that always gives a test the second day of school and expects you to remember everything he told you about the first day. I'm horrible with tests and I was so worried, but somehow, I was able to relax and remember what I'd studied the night before! Thanks so much! I made sure to tell my friends about you and my family too! They all want to come and visit!" This time it was a boy, maybe around fourteen, and he was really sweet and earnest. Kagome smiled and thanked her as well, but she was starting to get a bad feeling.

And that was how the rest of the day went. She'd spent her entire morning making these before school, and they were gone before the night was out (not that she'd been able to make that many-she wasn't some mass production machine). Even when people weren't buying things, Kagome still had to answer questions about the shrine (she boned up on the basics while getting the main part of the shrine ready), making sure the kids didn't get into anything they shouldn't, and so on.

Kagome shouldn't have been so surprised they were so busy, now that she thought about it. The shrine was in a populated part of the city, notorious, and, well, a shrine. Even her family's shrine, though small, still got several visitors whether tourists or otherwise a day. A Shinto shrine was often the heart and soul of a community and people wanted to come see who was taking over their shrine. Not to mention that this shrine was much bigger and important, in addition to all of the mystery and stories of the past few years. People were bound to be curious. Kagome only prayed that it eventually slowed down some.

That didn't really help Kagome right now. She cursed herself over the next couple of days of agreeing to run this shrine, and for having had the "brilliant" idea to make her own trinkets for the shrine, which were very popular. Between trying to keep up with demand, homework, and everything else, Kagome felt like she was about to collapse.

Kagome stared down at the package in her hands; eyebrow twitching slightly as she read the return address…it was from Sesshoumaru. Damn. It was the fourth day since she'd opened the shrine to the general public, and already Sesshoumaru was bothering her. Bastard. This really sucked-she didn't need anything else added to her chore list.

But Sesshoumaru had helped her get into a new high school instead of washing his hands of her with her low grades and abysmal attendance record…Kagome groaned and opened the package. She stared at it for a few moments, disbelief flooding through her.

Kagome hadn't really been sure what sort of tasks Sesshoumaru might make her do, but going to buy coffee beans hadn't even been a passing thought to dismiss instead of putting it on her mental list of possibilities. And not just ordinary coffee beans, no. He wanted her to go to a store at some address she didn't even recognize which meant it probably wasn't anywhere close for a special brand of coffee sold at this specialty store that apparently you could only purchase at that store. He'd at least given her a credit card to use for any purchases that came up in her line of duty, but…coffee beans? What the hell? Kagome was surely qualified for something just…more, was she not? Besides, she'd always thought of Sesshoumaru as a more traditional tea-inclined person.

Oh well…if she wanted to get this done before she opened she'd need to rush. He wanted his coffee yesterday. Stupid stuck up rich baka. Five centuries and he's still a pain in the neck. Why did she ever think that might change?

* * * * * * * *

Thirty minutes later found a very aggravated priestess, already changed into her work clothes, stomping into a very select coffee shop/café. She ignored the side long glances and walked up to the counter. "Hello," she said to the lady at the counter, trying to keep her voice calm, "I'm here to pick up Fumitaka's order."

The lady frowned slightly, looking her over. "It's prepared, but…what is a priestess doing picking it up?" she questioned.

"Because…" Kagome started to explain before her shoulders drooped slightly as she released a small, tired sigh, remembering how well it had gone last time she'd tried to explain, "It's complicated…I don't really have a choice in the matter. Let's leave it at what Fumitaka-sama wants, he gets. A priestess picking up coffee? Sure. No problem."

The café lady's eyes widened slightly. "Oh my…" was all she said, however, and she got out the order, already wrapped, and placed it on the counter. Kagome felt uncomfortable-the lady was staring at her very oddly, and Kagome wasn't sure why. Kagome paid with the credit card trying to hide her astonishment at the price (it was just coffee beans, even if a fancy blend, right?).

"Thank you," Kagome said politely, bowing slightly then turned to leave.

As she reached the door she heard the lady's quiet, sympathetic voice say, "It was no problem, dear…" Her sympathy made Kagome feel a little better as she headed off-at least she wasn't the only to realize how annoying it was to go have to fetch coffee for some rich arrogant jerk who was so picky and had to have this particular blend from this particular store. She wished she could have gotten the lady's name though-why wasn't she wearing a name tag?

* * * * * * * *

Time had gone from being a solid, reliable thing over this past week to something that was in a state of flux. At times it seemed like the weekend would never come, and then she'd realize hours, days were slipping by her and then suddenly it was Friday. Friday, with the following half-day of school, was a mixed blessing. She'd had to make an executive decision and stated that she was closing the shrine early on Saturday and not reopening until Monday. She'd scheduled a couple of workmen to come over and do some maintenance that she couldn't handle herself-she'd have to oversee their work, but it shouldn't be half as taxing as the shrine being open. She was also going to try and crack down on making shikigami. She'd thought she'd been envious of Kikyou for having Inuyasha's love. Shikigami, with her workload, were quickly taking first place.

Her thoughts continued in this vein, contemplating her list of things to do even as she continued to assist visitors. In what seemed like not time at all, it was approaching closing time, and everyone had trickled away leaving her alone to tidy up for the night. She grabbed a broom and started to sweep, a small smile growing as the once dreaded chore calmed her nerves with its' familiarity. A couple minutes later, however, her eyes caught the approaching figure of a boy her age dressed in the all too familiar uniform of her classmates.

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what Ootori Kyoya might be doing at her shrine. He stopped when he reached her, looking relaxed with his hands in his pockets, though something about it looked sort of artificial to her as if he was waiting for her reaction. "Hello…you're Ootori Kyoya, right?" she asked.

It was, and as the conversation continued Kagome quickly found herself relaxing. After being surrounded by hostile or aloof classmates, an obsessed gym teacher who had taken to what Kagome could only call stalking in some odd attempt to recruit Kagome onto the track team, and shrine visitors, it was nice to talk with a boy her age that didn't seem to have any expectations for her. The next thing she knew, she was inviting him to dinner, surprising herself probably more then he. After all, while waiting might cause the dinner to burn that didn't mean she had to invite him to come with her.

Dinner was pleasant, and Kagome could feel her hopes rising as they talked and teased each other (well, Kagome more teased-Kyoya was more of a make barbed comments that took a couple of seconds to realize what he just said) for the first time since her disastrous first day (hour!) that maybe she'd finally found her first friend at Ouran. Kyoya-san was a very pleasant person to talk to-relaxing and quite charming, but hints of that inner devilish personality sort of like Miroku. It was true that he wanted something from her, but he was up front about it and didn't press. Later, when she'd walked him to the car, she worked in a reference to a next time into their goodbyes, and he didn't protest. Kagome found herself smiling as she walked back, really smiling, at the thought of really having a friend again.

* * * * * * * *

Kagome came in shortly before the last bell rang, grateful to have made it on time. Managing a shrine and going to a prestigious school at the same time hadn't exactly sounded easy to begin with, but she was finding it even more difficult then imagined. She set her things out as the teacher began talking, but she was unable to keep her eyes from sliding over to check on Kyoya-san's status. He was concentrating on the teacher, taking notes. She bit her lip slightly, and followed his example. He was just being studious-not ignoring her. She was worrying too much. Being in this school had made her too paranoid.

But…he didn't look at her the entire day. Not that she stared at him the whole time, but every time she looked over at him he was paying attention to the teacher, or that blond friend of his (a very energetic, rather goofy guy). She kept repeating to herself it wasn't anything personal-and he wasn't favoring his friend. After all, Suou Tamaki was just hard to ignore and sat much closer to him then she did-she was practically across the room.

When class was dismissed, however, Kyoya left without even looking at her. Kagome found herself staring at him, depressed. It wasn't like she was expecting much-if he didn't want to ruin his reputation hanging around with her it was understandable, but he could have at least acknowledged her somehow!

On the walk home, Kagome did her best to drag her thoughts away from Kyoya. It was slightly more difficult then anticipated, given all the practice she'd had with Inuyasha. When she got home, however, it was easier to loose herself to her work and not think about anything else. When the workmen showed up she closed and directed them to where she wanted them to go, then grabbed one of her miko texts and made herself comfortable. She wanted to reread the section about the shikigami-she couldn't figure out what she was doing wrong!

Okay…so shikigami were pieces of paper that had been infused with a tiny portion of someone's soul and spiritual power. Only miko who had large souls could safely perform this technique, which generally meant that they had been reincarnated several times since the experience one's soul had had was what contributed to the size of a soul. Kagome scowled at the paper briefly before continuing to try and reword things so that they made more sense to her. The soul was what animated the piece of paper, after which the spiritual power gave it shape and substance. You had to be precise with your thoughts when you infused the paper with your spiritual power, since it would change what the shikigami looked like and how it acted. If you wanted a shikigami to act and look just like someone else, you had to have a small piece of that person with the piece of paper. Otherwise, you mostly had to rely on your imagination, which was why most shikigami resembled something you had seen before.

Kagome sighed…just the same things she'd already known. She could channel spiritual energy into pieces of paper all day long-she did it regularly with arrows, and lately her shrine prayers and charms. But her soul…she didn't even know where to begin with that. Did you visualize bits of your soul flying off? She'd tried that already though-she'd had enough people screwing around with her soul over the last couple of years to easily imagine that happening. She'd never been aware of her soul until that stupid witch had first decided to kidnap it, but ever since then she'd felt…cracked. Divided. Sometimes she'd felt feelings that she'd known didn't come from her. She'd tried manipulating it, what she could sense, but all it did was hurt even worse then the small ache she'd been dealing with for years.

Kagome rubbed her chest above her heart almost absent-mindedly as she continued to think, ignoring the background noise of the workmen. Maybe that had something to do with it-her missing piece of soul. She didn't see why it would-after all, Kikyou managed to make shikigami with only her little piece of a soul, so why would having a piece missing from your own affect things? But…well, as pitiful as it was, it was all she had to go on.

The book she was reading was a handwritten copy of old teaching scrolls. Unfortunately, in case translating it into a more modern tongue might mess up the meaning, it was very slow reading. Kagome thought that the scroll had probably come from at least a few centuries before the Edo period. It made it hard to find what you were looking for in the different sections, since it was impossible to just scan through it and it obviously didn't have a convenient table of contents. By the time she'd thought she'd found a promising section about the magic of the soul, it was getting to be too dark to read and the workmen were packing to go home for the day.

Kagome thanked them and headed home, pondering the odd little facts she'd picked up while looking through the book. Dinner was a quick affair, mainly just a chance to refuel before going back to the book. She cleaned up quickly, changed, and slipped into her bed, the book with her. After another hour of reading, Kagome finally decided to try one of the exercises recommended by the book that was supposed to increase your awareness of the soul and your ability to manipulate it. Sounded just what she was looking for.

She made herself comfortable, taking a crossed legged position and resting her handing on her knees. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in…then out. She concentrated on the part of her she knew was her soul, trying to increase her awareness of it, instead of ignore and push away the pain of it like she generally did. It was hard to try and keep her breathing calm as she took down the barriers she had unconsciously put up over the years as the pain went from a bad bruise to a sharp, stinging ache with their disappearance. She almost pushed the feeling away again but steeled herself-she needed help around the shrine, and this was the only thing she could think of to do. And if Kikyou could do a shikigami, her own past life, then darn it, she could master it too!

The thought of Kikyou almost magnified her sense of her soul a hundred fold. She felt more then saw it surround her, a presence that throbbed and pulsed and grew. Her more conscious thoughts slowed, her mind taking a back seat as she just felt. She sensed the part that was wrong, where a piece of her soul had been ripped from her. Another piece hovered over the spot, a part of her, but not. If she had been more aware, she might have been more shocked at the realization that that meant that Kikyou's part of her soul had returned to her. Instead, she felt anger, an overwhelming sense of wrongness. That part of her needed to be whole again, a part of her, and yet it just…hovered, unable to leave, but unable to join.

For the first time in her life, Kagome consciously manipulated her soul as she forced the two parts back together. It took an enormous amount of effort, for it was like a puzzle piece that had been lost, gnawed on by the dog, found, and then forced back into its' proper place. It didn't fit anymore, wasn't supposed to fit anymore, but Kagome refused to let her will be circumvented. With a harsh vibration that shocked Kagome down to her very bones it reconnected. And then a wave of thoughts and feelings and knowledge not her own flooded her brain.

She was Kikyou, age eleven, outwardly the prefect picture of a miko in training as she meditated, while inwardly she raged to herself about being forced onto this path. Remembering the miko who had come through her village and telling them of her potential. How she was practically thrust out the door of her home, away from her family, away from everything she knew into the care of this distant, remote stranger who never talked.

She was fourteen, older, colder, and resigned to her fate as she accepted her teacher's slight praise for her first successful solo sealing and banishment of a demon by herself.

She was seven, playing with the other children, one of those rare time when she didn't have to do any chores. She was content with her life, happy.

She was undead, eyeing her reincarnation with a mild hatred for the fact that she was free to choose her own path, and yet she kept choosing to follow the one that Kikyou had been willing to sacrifice almost anything to escape. Not only that, but she had friends, she had a child who was practically her son, she had Inuyasha. Jealousy and hatred grew and she pushed it back deeper, knowing and hating the depths she had sunken to, this undead state in which she couldn't die and couldn't live. Resolving to herself to let Inuyasha see some of her shikigami so that she could have that brief moment where he looked at her and she felt alive again, and hating Inuyasha because she had to rely on him so, and further twist her soul into something unrecognizable.

She was sixteen, coming back to her home village having been "honored" with the position as the guardian of the Shikon no tama, only to find that her parents had died while she was gone and that she had a little sister who was staring up at her with wide, admiring eyes.

She was seventeen, shooting arrows at the persistent hanyou with the white dog ears but not aiming to kill, wondering again why she couldn't bring herself to do so.

She was thirteen, assisting her mentor as they tried to cure a village that had fallen prey to the most deadly of foes, disease. She was surrounded by dying bodies, the stench, the filth, and the knowledge that the man she was working on had just died under her care.

She was taking the half completed jewel from her reincarnation's hand, knowing this was the best plan to destroy Naraku, and hoping this would be the thing that would push her reincarnation back to her time. At least if she was miserable here, she could rest easy in the knowledge that someday her soul would be free, if only her reincarnation would cooperate and do what was sensible for once and let her, the already tainted being she was, deal with the negative.

Hundreds, thousands of thoughts, feelings, desires, everything that Kikyou had experienced or thought about after she came back to "life" flooded Kagome. She couldn't stop it, couldn't control it, just continued to absorb more and more and more until finally, finally it was over and she could fall into blessed unconsciousness.

* * * * * * * *

Kagome's head was throbbing when she woke up, a headache worse then she could ever have imagined. She knew what had gone wrong now. Shikigami were extensions of oneself. Most people who knew the art generally made ones with only very tiny bits of a soul to power them, ones that could follow very simple commands but do nothing else. This was because when the part of the soul that was powering the shikigami returned, everything it experienced was known to the creator of the shikigami. But with a limited consciousness, the effect of the soul being reintegrated was limited. It didn't know enough to have any complicated thoughts or feelings. The most you might experience was the knowledge of a task being done, with a few images that had been seen while being accomplished.

It took a more powerful, experienced miko to create a shikigami that could think for itself, that could perform more then one task at a time. Not simply because it was dangerous to separate parts of your souls for too long, but because of the mental trauma that could happen when the piece of a soul returned. Many miko apprentices had died learning to create shikigami, being too headstrong and not listening to the dangers but only seeing the benefit of having extra hands to do the tasks needing done. Some cut away too much of their soul, leaving a soulless husk that either died of starvation or was given a mercy killing. Others managed that part, but couldn't handle the influx of memories and thoughts when a soul returned and simply went crazy.

Her situation was unique. Kikyou, in some ways, had been a shikigami, a small part of her soul that while still tied to her existed in something else. One difference was that Kagome had had no control over Kikyou, no ability to make her do her will. Another was that Kikyou had been more then an extension of herself, but her own being. Generally when you were alive you never remembered your past lives, but the witch's magic had awakened that knowledge. Like a shikigami however, when the soul powering Kikyou returned to Kagome, everything that Kikyou had been, had known or thought about while she existed in that undead state, had returned to Kagome.

It was a very unsettling experience. Instead of being just Kagome (someone Kagome had been very happy being, despite various trials and tribulations) she was Kagome…but with a great deal of Kikyou's memories. There was a reason why you started fresh every time you were reborn. For instance, right now, the part of her that had grown up in the modern era wanted aspirin-and lots of it. The part of her that had been a miko knew the exact combination of herbs that would help with the headache and another set that would help on a more spiritual level to ease the strain the soul and mind had just been put through. For that matter, she understand shikigami (and would be able to make them) with no problem now. In fact, she could pretty much do everything Kikyou could. After all, Kikyou was now a part of her, on a level Kagome had never imagined.

Kagome slowly got up, her hand going immediately to her head as she winced. She would need to stock up on her supply of herbs, but for now, aspirin would have to do.

She went through her day in what felt like a haze. She felt like it had been a lifetime, literally, since she was last here, but it had only been hours. She moved in ways that were both familiar and foreign to her. It wasn't until she left the house that she realized she'd put her hair up exactly as Kikyou was used to. Even her walking had changed-Kagome was a modern girl who while she had experience in the past, never had to be stealthy or quiet when she walked in the forest. Now she was walking lightly-not as perfectly as Kikyou had, but differently then she had as Kagome.

Even her speech sounded more archaic when she spoke to the workmen. She left them working alone, though she ought to keep an eye on them. She couldn't bear company right now. She felt raw. Even though her headache was now on a slightly more reasonable level, it only made thinking about her current situation easier, which was worse then the pain. She'd always envied Kikyou's abilities, but she never, never would have wanted to get them like this. Her only saving grace was that while Kikyou was a different person, she was still, in many ways, fundamentally similar to Kagome. They both loved children. They both were kind, and liked to help others. They both were dedicated to anything they considered their duty. If Kikyou had been a truly hateful person who enjoyed the suffering of others, Kagome was certain she wouldn't be able to stand it. Kikyou was resentful and jealous and had experienced things Kagome never had, but deep down she was still a good person whose greatest joy came from spending time with the sister she hadn't even known about until she was sixteen.

Kagome spent a great deal of the day in the herb garden. Kagome hadn't been able to really explore all of her shrine grounds, but while walking on the paths trying to put things into some sort of perspective, she'd found an overgrown herb garden. It was comforting to both sides of her to work with them. Kagome had fond memories of the brief peaceful times in Keade's village helping Keade harvest herbs and learning bits and pieces of knowledge. Kikyou, who until she'd been taken to train as a miko, had grown up the child of rice farmers and assisted them in the fields even before she'd learned about herbs. It helped to do things that both of them had experience in, even if she found herself switching between doing things in her own way or Kikyou's. Something that had good memories for both of them.

Kagome really didn't enjoy remembering most of Kikyou's memories. She'd had such a sad life, once she'd been taken as a miko. Kikyou's family had lived a hard life, granted, but it had been one in which Kikyou had been content. The miko had come, taken her away, and had ignored her except for when she had been training her, and had often degraded Kikyou whenever she did anything wrong. Kikyou had misbehaved a lot at first, in hopes that the miko would give up and send her home. Then she'd done a 180, trying to do everything perfectly so that maybe she could get one hint of approval from her teacher. It seldom happened, only enough so that Kikyou wouldn't give up and instead keep trying,

It was depressing to see the happy child Kikyou had been change into the unhappy woman she'd become. It was even worse to view her memories of Inuyasha's betrayal and her life as an undead woman. At least before she'd died she'd had times when she was happy-after she came back, she never was, no matter what she tried. Kikyou's fierce determination not to die had caused her to keep some of Kagome's soul, but it had been the part Kikyou had least been able to let go of at the time-her unhappiness, her hatred for Inuyasha who had taken away every bit of happiness, every hope and dream she'd had. It had at least given her something to concentrate on, until she found out about Naraku. She was left still with the bitterest part of her soul, but the intended recipient of that hatred was on the whole, innocent.

Unable to really live, unable to really die, Kikyou was left with only her goal to see Naraku die and go back to death herself. Those years she'd spent back in the world of the living were completely miserable, and the happiest moment was when she'd seen her death coming at her.

And the worst part of it was that she experienced all this as if it was her, not another person. She was the one who'd been taken from her family, trained as a miko, killed by Naraku pretending to be Inuyasha, and raised from the dead. Not Kikyou-her. She might label them as Kikyou's memories, but they were hers' now, and she didn't want them.

End Chapter Three

So…how many of you saw that coming? And yes, we'll have more Kyoya next chapter, don't worry.


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